Apparatus for sanitizing water dispensed from a water dispenser having a reservoir

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus of sanitizing drinking water to be dispensed from a water dispenser having a reservoir includes the steps of providing the ozone gas generator that generates an ozone gas stream, transmitting the ozone gas stream from the generator to the water dispenser reservoir, mechanically breaking up the ozone gas stream inside the reservoir to produce ozone gas bubbles, and using the ozone gas bubbles to disinfect water in the reservoir. The ozone gas stream can be mechanically broken up using a pump such as, for example, an impeller type pump.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/967,812, filed Oct. 18, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,422,684,incorporated herein by reference, priority to which is hereby claimed.

Priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/511,986,filed Oct. 16, 2003, incorporated herein by reference, is herebyclaimed.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to water dispensers including refrigeratedand non-refrigerated water dispensers that provide a reservoir forholding water. More particularly, the present invention provides animproved method and apparatus for sanitizing drinking water to bedispensed from a water dispenser having a reservoir wherein ozone gas isgenerated and transmitted from a generator to the water dispenserreservoir, a pump being positioned inside the reservoir that enables theozone gas mechanically broken up inside the reservoir to produce verysmall ozone gas bubbles that are used to disinfect the water in thereservoir and the reservoir floor.

2. General Background of the Invention

The EPA publication “Alternative Method's of Disinfection” relates thataerator diffusion systems have achieved over 95% ozone mass transferdiffusion efficiency when properly configured. The highest transferefficiencies are achieved by any known conventional means used in largescale ozone water treatment applications. Aerators are special types ofliquid pumps adapted to production of a mixed phase gas and liquid flowstream for the sole purpose of dissolving said gases into the liquid.Two types of conventional aerator pumps can be used for adaptation tothe batch type water dispenser reservoir as the primary ozone diffusionmeans. The two conventional types are high shear centrifugal flowaerators as described for example by the Naito, U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,949,hereby incorporated herein by reference.

A centrifugal water pump impeller designed for aeration, as the nameimplies, pumps liquids by radial action of radial or spiral blades ortines. Such blades or tines are either sandwiched between two discs oraffixed to a single disc. In most instances they act as a housing wherewater and a gas are draw in from either ports located near the axis orin the case of the single disc types open to the bulk liquid. This fluidis propelled radially outward by the radial-centrifugal pushing andslinging action of the plurality of vanes in rotary motion. Gas istypically supplied through ports in a hollow drive shaft or in the caseof single disc open impeller models, from an annular opening formedbetween shaft and exterior sleeve in connecting with gas supply. In somemodels, the perimeter of the dual disc radial flow impeller is providedwith a housing displaying a plurality of slots or a screen capable offurther sub-dividing gas bubbles by shear between porous perimeterhousing surface and tips of the blades and passage through the meteredslots or screens.

Axial flow impellers pump water sourced from an axial supplying meansthrough one or more pitched rotary screw impellers. These screwimpellers propel water axially by pushing and form a region of lowpressure on the water intake side, providing the means for gas siphoningto the liquid for shear mixing by the impeller. Variations range fromthin dimension, low pitched shearing blades with one or more suchimpellers like those found on vortex action household blenders. Thesedevices aerate and mix gases from the air gap with the liquid such asdisclosed by Zeff, U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,521, hereby incorporated hereinby reference. The Zeff '521 patented pump uses an impeller stackconsisting of one or more high pitch drive impellers that pump water andprovide maximum gas siphoning rates when stack is placed in a tubularhousing. The most advanced stack models exhibit thin walled paraboliccross-sectioned net-zero pitched shearing blades lying between driveimpellers that generate maximum turbulence and regions of high and lowpressure within the flow stream capable of shearing a partial mixed gasphase down to fast dissolving non-buoyant, gas colloid-suspensiondimensions.

Due to their increased gas siphoning ability without adverse gasflooding cavitation to impellers resulting in liquid flow stoppage, suchpumps are often outfitted with positive pressure gas supplies capable ofquickly gas saturating liquids.

Gas bubble volume to water mass transfer in open cooler reservoirsystems with tuned aerator pumps can rotary shear gas bubbles down tomicron dimensions found in pressured water venturi injection systems.Gas being a compressible fluid, when the venturi injection returnsozonated water flow to open systems cooler reservoir with correspondingpressure decrease, bubbles quickly increase to larger dimensions thatquickly rise to reservoir air water interface and exhaust withouteffectively mass transferring any of the process ozone to water in thehighly abbreviated water columns of cooler reservoirs.

Typically, low pressure, fine bubble diffuser stones are limited toproduction of bubbles no smaller than about 300 micron diameters withthe majority of the bubble population capable of supporting adequate gasvolumes for disinfecting reservoirs in contacting times ranging from10-45 minutes with small output ozonators lie in the 400-600 microndiameter range, relatively slow rising and exhausting bubbles.

Diffusion efficiencies of cooler based diffuser stone based diffusiontypically do not exceed 5-40% depending on ozonator output. Gas supplyrates cannot exceed 2 liters per minute in the most prevalent 2 literwater volume form of cooler without turning the reservoir water volumeto froth with the accompanying risk of inducing catastrophic coolerflooding in bottled water coolers and float regulated pressured supplypoint of use coolers.

When a point of use type water dispenser intake valve float drops due toloss of liquid head and allow pressured supply to continuously dumpwater into reservoir that in turn is continually converted to lowdensity froth. Flooding can occur in these devices from overdriven ozonesupply systems.

All of these deficiencies can be overcome with air flow rate and bubblesize tuned aerator systems that are capable of circulating chieflynon-buoyant bubbles around in the reservoir and inhibiting the buoyantbubble size fractions from rising to the surface, exhausting with aswirling flow circulating around reservoir walls instead of toroidalwater flow dynamics that roll to air water interface and back down. Ineffect, this feature greatly increases the contacting times of thelarger bubble fractions. The very small non-buoyant fractions diffuse bypressure dynamics, diffusing to extinction in usually about 40 secondsare less. The larger buoyant fraction on the other hand must be diffusedby the conventional motional transfer of external bubble film mixedphase gas-water stripping dynamics.

In cooler reservoir bubble reactors, the conventional method has notdemonstrated itself to be an effective transfer means for low bubblerise velocity in abbreviated water column. Layer stripping diffusion ofthis bubble fraction requires considerable mechanical stirring action,as occurs with aerator circulation where the layer is stripped andcontents dispersed within the bulk liquid by active mixing, decreasinggas solution density around bubble allowing the mixed phase layer toquickly replenish and be stripped again in a low dissolved gasenvironment. With continual stripping of bubbles whose initial size was500-700 microns, bubble sizes diminish until they reach non-buoyant,fast pressure diffusion bubble dimension where viscous drag andcirculation in excess of rise velocity holds these bubbles in suspensionuntil they diffuse to extinction. This effect has been demonstrated withsparingly soluble ozone and air dissolving in water at watertemperatures in excess of 75 F with aerator diffusion.

The rapid mass transfer effect is only accelerated in chilled waterfound in cooler reservoirs averaging about 38 degrees F. It is notuncommon in 2 liter chilled water volumes to gas saturate the water inless than about 4 minutes to the point continued aeration is a pointlesswaste of energy. Site generated ozone as dissolved ozone concentrationpeaks long before the remaining gas phase stored in small non-buoyantbubbles have depleted. The dissolved gas concentration effectivelyinhibits further gas transfer to the liquid. On return to staticequilibrium conditions, post aerator diffusion, the reservoir watervolume begins to demonstrate the milky liquid light dispersionappearance of a true, meta-stable gas colloid that will remain stablefor days without off-gassing and returning to a clear state.

Due to the effectiveness of rotary mechanical shearing of gas to fineparticulate dimensions and circulation capture of gas particles that onecan achieve with aerator diffusion, aerators or their impellers can belocated either near the reservoir air-water interface or (when operatingnear the bottoms of coolers) provided with a small water intakeextension in addition to regular intake whose terminus lies relativelyclose to the interface to form a vortex capable of drawing exhaust phaseozone back down into the water where it can be recycled and transferredto water, reducing process ozone demand even further.

As long as the amount of exhaust gas quantity drawn into the mixer issmall, the effect on primary process ozone siphoning is small andimpeller cavitation will not occur. A further consideration is keepingancillary extension's intake orifice small to eliminate the potentialthe reservoir flooding resulting from the formation of large vortices.

Another option open to axial flow housed impeller stack aerators, thatof split flow transfer of ozonated water to other regions of a coolerinclude the ability to pump ozonated water from reservoir into waterbottles of bottled water coolers. This results in pre-ozonating thesource water and sanitizing the inner surfaces of bottles as well as itsanti-spill device, the tubular hypodermic like protrusions that piercespecial sanitary bottle caps. When bottled water and especially thetubes of anti-spill devices extend up into the clear bottles exposure tosunlight over extended periods causes algae to bloom in the bottle. Thisforms algal biofilms on both bottle and tubular extension surfaces thatozonated water will bleach and render inert. Since there is little airexchange associated suspended fine bubbles and dissolved ozone, thepositive displacement ozonated water pumped into bottles, returning toreservoir by gravity flow at a rate equal to that pumped in, thus nodanger of the disequilibria, air exchange cooler flooding exists.

Prior art addressing ozonating water in the bottle, is seen in theTroglione patent, U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,404. The '404 patent reveals adual reservoir transfer ozonation system, usable to disinfect a bottledwater dispenser=s water. The primary differences in the '404 patent asopposed to the present embodiment are that Troglione required adedicated water pump to pump water from a separate ozone bubble reactorreservoir reserve to the bottle and demonstrated no capacity tocompletely exchange the non-ozonated contents of the bottle with freshlyozonated reservoir water. Troglione '404 required a dedicated air pumpfor transferring ozone to the bubble reactor>s porous diffuser stone.The present invention provides other split-flow transfer options includerunning small diameter tubing through water courses that terminateimmediately behind spigot valves for back flushing watercourses andexposed valve bodies with freshly ozonated water, thereby bleaching andwashing any biofilms that might have formed in these stagnate, slowwater mixing exchange areas. Such areas would not otherwise be exposedto high concentrations ozone unless freshly ozonated water weredispensed from cooler, which represents insufficient contacting timewithout sufficient water flow velocity to achieve a biofilm abradingeffect. The bleaching and scrubbing of organic deposits with risingstreams of ozone bubbles aimed at reservoir sidewalls by a gated ringdiffuser is discussed in the Davis U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,085,540 and6,389,690 for reservoir sidewall sanitisation.

Removal and bleaching of the reservoir floor or bottom wall area is mostnecessary as the loose sediment has no place to go except down thewatercourses and out the spigot into an individuals drinking glass. Infact no other conventional form of diffusion presently in use canprovide the stirring action and accompanying turbulence need to stir upsediment and strip biofilms from a reservoir base and beach them to aninert.

Small applications aerators of appropriate scale for cooler applicationscan be supplied by current manufacturers in two basic configurations:Firstly, in compact, short shafted units in housing's integrated withits prime mover suitable for below water level in reservoir mounting,inversion mount with only impeller stack and housing protruding throughreservoir base or 90 degree sidewall mount, impeller and housingprotruding through reservoir sidewall. In the case of a cooler reservoiroutfitted with two tangential sidewall ports connected to supply tubing,one side serves as water inlet, the other as a water outlet with amixing chamber located between the two terminal ends of tubing. Anaerator is fixed to the external mixing chamber where water can bepumped, and shear mixed and siphoned ozone supply from ozonator can besiphoned across impeller, shear mixed and pumped into reservoir flowingin the preferred swirl around the reservoir perimeter. Ozone can berecycled through the aerator, with or without split stream transfer tothe previously described critical areas.

Long hollow gas supply drive shafted units are suitable for exteriormotor mounting to a point of use (POU) cooler reservoir cover or to theanti-spill device cover found on bottled water coolers where impellersand the associated housing project into the reservoir below water level.

Silva U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,980 discloses a radial flow aerator being usedas primary ozone diffusion means in an on demand, partially continuousthroughput water treatment system suitable for the needs of smallmunicipalities. The reservoir was built expressly for this purpose. TheSilva system has a dual reservoir, contactor separate form dispensingaccumulation tank and water is not chilled in either tank and not thesame utility.

Blender impellers (see e.g. to Zeff U.S. Pat. No. 3,843,521) are of theaxial flow type, but differ from chemical engineering gas diffusionaerators in that the chemical engineering models feature housedimpellers and gas tube supplying means and flow directed mixed phaseflows that minimize or climinate vortex and corresponding air coreconduits from surface. The open impeller design of blenders inconjunction with the container geometry incorporated by Zeff causecyclonic toroidal convection vortex flow in the aerator embodiment dueto the potential of cooler flooding. The low density air core of avortex can destabilize both a bottled water cooler and a float actuatedpoint of use cooler's water supplying means, promoting uninterruptedwater drainage into the cooler reservoir. This type of axial aerator isincapable of directing split flow streams to other parts of a cooler.

Several patents have issued that discuss the general concept of usingozone to sanitize drinking water contained in the reservoir of a waterdispensing device, water cooler, or the like.

As examples, patents have issued that relate to the use of ozone fordisinfecting drinking water that is to be dispensed. U.S. Pat. Nos.6,085,540 entitled “Method and apparatus for disinfecting a water coolerreservoir”; 6,389,690 entitled “Method and apparatus for disinfecting awater cooler reservoir”; 6,532,760 entitled “Method and apparatus fordisinfecting a water cooler reservoir”; 6,561,382 entitled “Method andapparatus for disinfecting a water cooler reservoir and its dispensingspigot(s)”, each of said patents being incorporated herein by reference.

Other possibly relevant patents include Olsen U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,576and Matsui U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,619.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Ozone gas is generated and transmitted from a generator to an aeratorpump impeller. The impeller is positioned either inside the dispenserreservoir and submerged below water level or in a recirculation loopchannel. The channel can be in tangential connection with thedispenser=s reservoir. The channel is preferably positioned below alevel that enables the ozone gas to be siphoned through a supply tube bya partial pressure differential. This differential is generated by botha flow stream and water intake cavitation dynamics generated by theimpeller.

The ozone gas is then drawn by the impeller (or impellers) across itsblades where the ozone gas phase is sheared and finely subdivided intobubbles. On some types of aerator pumps this ozone gas is furthersheared to even finer dimensions when passing between an impellerhousing and its impeller, or by passage through exit slots or screensprovided across the housing=s discharge or out feed ports. Such veryfine ozone bubbles dissolve more readily in the volume of a motionalwater flow stream contained in the reservoir. Such very small ozonebubbles can be used to disinfect the water and any exposed surfaces ofthe reservoir, as well as its associated watercourses and internalcomponents below the water. Disinfection is by direct contact with theozonated water and that above the waterline by direct contact withozonated water vapor and gas phase exhaust ozone that develops duringthe process of ozonation.

The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus forsanitizing drinking water to be dispenser from a water dispenser havinga reservoir.

The method includes the providing of an ozone gas generator thatgenerates in an ozone gas stream. The ozone gas stream is transferredfrom the generator to the water dispenser reservoir.

Inside the reservoir, the ozone gas stream is mechanically broken up toproduce ozone gas bubbles. These ozone gas bubbles are broken upsufficiently so that they are small enough to disinfect the reservoir.In the preferred embodiment, a pump can be used to mechanically break upthe ozone gas stream inside the reservoir to produce very small ozonegas bubbles.

The pump can be a motor driven pump having a pump housing with one ormore fluid inlets. The pump has an impeller that is placed inside thereservoir, the impeller breaking up the ozone gas stream as it flowsfrom an inlet into the pump housing.

The pump also provides one or more discharge outlets with a dischargestructure that can further break up the ozone exiting the pump.

The pump can include a pump impeller that has multiple vanes (see FIGS.12-15). The pump discharge outlet can optionally provide a screen thatcovers all or part of the outlet to help break bubbles into very smallpieces.

The method includes the further step of intaking water from thereservoir with the pump so that water and ozone mixed and circulatedinside the pump housing.

The pump inlet(s) can include a water inlet and a gas or ozone inlet.The gas inlet can intake ozone, air, or a mixture of ozone and air.

As part of the method, the ozone gas stream can be sheared using animpeller and/or a screen or other structure that is placed at the pumpdischarge or spaced closely to the periphery of the impeller.

The present invention provides an improved water dispenser that includesa housing having a spigot for dispensing water. A flowline or conduitinside the housing supplies water to the spigot.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a further understanding of the nature, objects, and advantages ofthe present invention, reference should be had to the following detaileddescription, read in conjunction with the following drawings, whereinlike reference numerals denote like elements and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional, elevation view of the preferred embodiment of theapparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevation view of a second embodiment; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional elevation view of the preferred embodimentof the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pumparrangement;

FIG. 5A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional elevation view of the preferred embodimentof the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pumparrangement;

FIG. 6A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional elevation view of the preferred embodimentof the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pumparrangement;

FIG. 7A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional elevation view of the preferred embodimentof the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pumparrangement;

FIG. 8A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 8;

FIG. 9 is a partial sectional elevation view of the preferred embodimentof the apparatus of the present invention illustrating an alternate pumparrangement;

FIG. 9A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 9;

FIG. 10 is a partial sectional elevation view of the preferredembodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating analternate pump arrangement;

FIG. 10A is a plan view of the pump arrangement of FIG. 10;

FIG. 11 is a sectional fragmentary view of the preferred embodiment ofthe apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view of the preferredembodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating anoptional pump configuration;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along lines 13-13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional elevation view of the preferredembodiment of the apparatus of the present invention illustrating anoptional pump configuration;

FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along lines 15-15 of FIG. 14.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Water dispenser 20 is shown in FIG. 1 as including cabinet 21 having areservoir 15 for holding water 16 to be consumed by a user. Reservoir 15has a sidewall and a bottom wall 19. Cabinet 21 can support a known,commercially available supply bottle 12 having neck outlet 26. Such areservoir 15 containing water 16 is shown and described, for example, inU.S. Pat. Nos. 6,085,540; 6,389,690, and 6,532,760 each herebyincorporated herein by reference.

The present invention further provides an improved method for sanitizingdrinking water to be dispensed from a water dispenser having a reservoirand further provides an improved water dispenser. Water dispenser 20 canbe any known water dispensing device that typically uses a cabinet 21that has reservoir 15 containing water 16. The cabinet can include knownelectrical components, known refrigeration system 22 and othercomponents that are known. Hollow drive shaft is contained within acylindrically shaped housing section 18 of housing 2. Pump 23 caninclude a housing 2 positioned inside reservoir 15 and below water level9, being surrounded by water 16 to be sanitized and dispensed. Pumphousing 2 contains impeller (see FIGS. 12-13) driven by hollow driveshaft 4 and motor 1. Pump 23 can be any of a number of different pumpconfigurations as shown in FIGS. 1-4, 5-5A, 6-6A, 7-7A, 8-8A, 9-9A,10-10A, 12-15.

An air supply tubing 5 can supply a combination of air and ozone to pump23. Air supply tubing 5 connects to pump 23 at air supply barb 6. Anozone generator 7 connects to cabinet 21 (FIG. 1). Ozone generator 7connects to tubing 5. Tubing 5 can provide filter 24. Ozone generatorintakes air at inlet 25. The water=s surface of reservoir 15 provides anair water interface 9. Ozone bubbles that are emitted from pumpdischarge manifold 17 mix with water 16 and sanitize water 16 as well asreach the air water interface 9. Housing 2 provides multiple intakesincluding water intake 10 and gas intake 8 inside drive shaft 4.

The arrows 11 in FIG. 3 schematically shows ozone gas bubbles mixingwithin the reservoir 15 thus providing ozone disinfection of water 16.The numeral 13 in figure illustrates very fine bubbles or a very finebubble fraction undergoing contact diffusion with the surrounding water16 for sanitizing the water 16.

The discharge manifold 17 is provided with three outlet ports 27, 28,29. The outlet port 27 communicates with flowline 34 for transmittingozone to bottled water supply 12 as indicated by arrows 39 in FIG. 1.The port 28 discharges ozone directly into reservoir 15 as indicated byarrow 38 so that ozone can be used to disinfect the bottom 36 ofreservoir 15. Bottle 12 nests in an anti-spill receiver 35 that can besupplied with cabinet 21. The anti-spill receiver 35 includes a tube 76that connects with the neck outlet 26 of bottle 12 as seen in FIG. 1.Such anti-spill receivers 35 are known.

Cabinet 21 provides spigot 30 having handle 31, the spigot 30 being aknown structure. Such spigots 30 are typically provided on commerciallyavailable water dispensers and communicate with water 16 and reservoir15 via channel 32. Port 29 communicates with flowline 33 to provideozone directly to spigot 30 for sanitizing it and its channel 32 (seeFIGS. 1 and 11).

FIGS. 2 and 4 show an alternate construction of apparatus 10 of thepresent invention in the form of point of use (POU) dispenser 40. Pointof use dispenser 40 provides a cabinet 41 having a reservoir 42 with abottom 58 and sidewall 59. Reservoir 42 contains water 43 having watersurface 44.

An influent flowline 45 communicates with float valve 46. Float valve 46is commercially available, providing a float 48 that rises and fallswith water level 44, the valve 46 being opened to discharge water intoreservoir 42 when float 48 falls below a predetermined elevation. Arrows47 in FIG. 2 illustrate the up and down movement of float 48 for openingand closing valve 46. When float 48 reaches a maximum elevation, itcloses valve 46 halting the flow of fluid from flowline 45 to reservoir42. Ozone generator 7 is mounted on cabinet 41. The ozone generatortransmits ozone via flowline 49 to motor 50, then to motor drive shaft 1and to housing 52. Motor 50 provides a motor shaft 51 which is hollow,the motor shaft 51 driving an impeller contained in housing 52 and alsotransmitting ozone that it receives via line 49 to pump housing 52.Housing 52 can include a cylindrically shaped section that surroundsdrive shaft 51.

Pump housing 52 provides discharge manifold 53 having outlet ports 54,55. As indicated by arrows 56 in FIG. 4, discharged ozone leaves outletport 54 and mixes with the water 43 contained in reservoir 42. Dischargemanifold 53 is positioned next to bottom wall 58 of reservoir 42 so thatthe discharged bubbles exiting port 54 scrub the bottom of 58 andsanitize it. Outlet port 55 communicates with flowline 57 fortransmitting ozone to spigot 30.

FIGS. 12-15 show exemplary impeller constructions. In FIGS. 12 and 13,housing 2 is provided with an impeller 3 that is comprised of aplurality of long radial vanes 60 and short radial vanes 61. Ozoneenters housing 2 as indicated by arrows 67 in FIG. 12. Water entershousing 2 via intake 10 as indicated by arrows 68 in FIG. 12. Water andozone mix as hollow drive shaft 4 is provided with openings 69 next tovanes 60, 61. The ozone mixes with water at the vanes 60, 61 forming avery fine bubble fraction that is discharged at mixed fluid outlet 62 toone of the discharge manifolds 17 or 53. Thus the impeller configurationof FIGS. 12 and 13 could be used in either the embodiment of FIG. 1 orthe embodiment of FIG. 2. Likewise, the embodiment of FIGS. 14 and 15could be used with either of the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2.

In FIG. 14, the housing 52 contains an impeller 70 mounted at the lowerend portion of drive shaft 51. The impeller 70 has a plurality of blades63 and a plurality of vanes 64. A plurality of push propeller blades 63are provided, preferably at different elevations as shown in FIGS. 14and 15. In addition, zero pitch shearing vanes 64 are attached to driveshaft 51 as shown in FIG. 14. Housing 52 provides one or more intakeopening 66 for intaking water. Water intake is schematically illustratedby the arrow 71 in FIG. 14.

The ozone carried in hollow drive shaft 51 is indicated by arrow 67.Water indicated by arrow 71 mixes at the vanes 63, 64 and is dischargedat outlet 72 as indicated by arrow 73.

FIGS. 5-5A, 6-6A, 7-7A, 8-8A, 9-9A and 10-10A illustrate various otherconfigurations of the pump, its motor drive and discharge in relation toreservoir 15 and its contained water 16. These figures illustrate thatnumerous pump shaft, pump housing configurations can be used within thespirit of the present invention.

In FIGS. 5-5A, pump housing 2 is placed next to the periphery ofreservoir 15.

In FIGS. 6-6A, the motor drive 1 is located at the bottom of reservoir15 so that a very short drive shaft would be needed to form a connectionbetween motor 1 and housing 2 and its impeller.

In FIG. 7, a submersible combination motor drive 1 and pump housing 2 isshown.

In FIGS. 8-8A, a recirculating loop defined by flowlines 74, 75 isdisclosed. In FIGS. 9-9A, pump housing 2 is mounted to the insidesurface of the side wall of reservoir 15. Motor drive 1 is mounted onthe outside surface of reservoir 15. A drive shaft that connects motordrive 1 to pump housing 2 extends through the reservoir wall.

FIGS. 10-10A illustrate a motor 1 and housing 2 configuration such asthat shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The following is a list of suitable partsand materials for the various elements of the preferred embodiment ofthe present invention.

PARTS LIST

Parts Number Description 1 motor 2 pump housing 3 impeller 4 drive shaft5 air supply tubing 6 air supply barb 7 ozone generator 8 gas intake 9air/water interface 10 water intake 11 gas bubble and water mixing 12supply bottle 13 fine bubble fraction 14 fluid flow arrow 15 reservoir16 water 17 discharge manifold 18 cylindrical housing section 19 bottomwall 20 water dispenser 21 cabinet 22 refrigeration system 23 pump 24filter 25 inlet 26 neck outlet 27 outlet port 28 outlet port 29 outletport 30 spigot 31 handle 32 channel 33 flowline 34 flowline 35anti-spill receiver 36 bottom 37 bottom 38 arrow 39 arrow 40 point ofuse dispenser 41 cabinet 42 reservoir 43 water 44 water surface 45influent flowline 46 float valve 47 arrow 48 float 49 flowline 50 motor51 shaft 52 housing 53 discharge manifold 54 outlet port 55 outlet port56 arrow 57 flowline 58 bottom 59 side wall 60 long radial vane 61 shortradial vane 62 mixed fluid flow outlet 63 push propeller blade 64 ozonepitch shearing vane 65 tubular housing section 66 water intake 67 arrow68 arrow 69 opening 70 impeller 71 arrow 72 outlet 73 arrow 74 flowline75 flowline 76 tube

The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; thescope of the present invention is to be limited only by the followingclaims.

1. A water dispenser for supporting an inverted bottle containing waterto be dispensed, said bottle having a tapered neck portion with adispensing outlet, comprising: a cabinet having top and bottom portions,the top portion having a top opening and an upper water supply sectionwith an anti-spill receiver that has a vertically oriented tube thatconnects with the neck of the bottle of water to be dispensed; a lowerwater supply section including a reservoir that has a reservoir sidewall and that extends below the anti-spill receiver and the bottle ofwater to be dispensed, the anti-spill receiver tube being spacedinwardly of the reservoir side wall and extending below the cabinet topopening; the tapered neck portion being connectable to the anti-spillreceiver by inverting the bottle of water and contacting the neckdispensing outlet of the bottle with the anti-spill receiver tube,wherein a portion of the tube extends into the dispensing outlet; anozone generator that includes at least one ozone flow line; a pumpconnected to said ozone flow line for mixing ozone with water in saidreservoir; and a flow line connecting said pump to said tube fordirecting an ozone-water mixture from said pump into the tapered neckportion of said bottle.
 2. The water dispenser of claim 1, furthercomprising one or more spigots on the cabinet for dispensing water fromthe reservoir.
 3. The water dispenser of claim 1, wherein the ozone flowline has an in line filter.
 4. The water dispenser of claim 1, whereinthe top portion the cabinet has a top panel and the ozone flow lineenters the cabinet via the top panel.
 5. The water dispenser of claim 1,wherein the ozone flow line enters the reservoir from a position abovethe top portion of the cabinet.